Oklahoma State has First Wave of Players Report to Campus
STILLWATER -- Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy had his staff in the house on the lower club level, that is the floor in the West End Zone known as the coaches offices. The staff was back on Monday after being tested on Friday by medical staff from the University's medical school at OSU-Tulsa. We spoke to several members of the staff that said they had their results back and they were negative for the coronavirus.
Voluntary strength and conditioning workouts will not begin in the football facilities until June 15, but the players coming back today will be doing some rehab work under the direction of the Oklahoma State sports medicine staff. Among the players that we know reported on Monday were running back Chuba Hubbard, running back L.D. Brown, running back Dezmon Jackson, and running back Deondrick Glass. Quarterback Spencer Sanders is coming back following the thumb injury that ended his season early last November. Wide receivers Tylan Wallace, Dillon Stoner, Landon Wolf, and Langston Anderson reported.
There is one entrance into the facility where people arriving have their temperature taken and receive a wristband than allows them to be in the facility. The security is tightened down with the COVID-19 concern.
Another wave of players will report on Thursday, June 4 of this week and then the remaining players among the designated 110 that are allowed on campus and to start fall football practice will check in on Monday, June 8.
Now there are reports that the NCAA Division I Council will likely allow schools to have six weeks of football practices leading up to the start of the season, meaning these practice would begin in mid-July. The thought is that the spaced out fall camp would allow for some of the work missed with most schools missing most of or all of spring football. It would also allows for coaching staffs to space out contact work that is needed to get players prepared for the rigors of the season.
I'm absolutely certain that Mike Gundy and his staff would be happy with that.
It would mean that the annual Extreme Camp for Cowboy fans to get an inside into their football program would land somewhere in the middle, instead of the beginning of fall practice.
Oklahoma State director of football relations and Extreme Camp director Johnny Barr told me the camp is on for 2020 and they are working on making it COVID-19 compliant.
"We're going to have to do somethings different, but we still intend for it to be an up close and unique experience inside Oklahoma State football, something only Extreme Campers have access to," Barr explained of the camp that is set to take place Aug. 7-9. "We will have to pay attention to keeping the campers safe, our players, and football staff. We will pay attention to social distancing. We will have the introduction session with the new players. That is one of the most popular things we do. We'll still have the social events including the trip to Coach Gundy's house."
Barr said that fans interested in looking into being Extreme Campers can contact him at (405) 744-9869 at the football office, (405) 744-3284 at his office, or email him at johnny.barr@okstate.edu.
"It will be our 11th year that we have had it and last year I had 11 folks that had made it all 10 of the previous years. This year, right now we have 12 scheduled to be at Extreme Camp for their 10th year or more. I have 34 guys that this will be their fifth year. I think we're doing good, building relationships, and people here love football as you know.
